I was going to call it a night, but let me throw out this real quick:
What worries you most about the Hornets heading into Saturday's Game 1 against the Mavericks?
A few possible concerns:
- Poor bench play – Inconsistency from the second unit has dogged us all season, and it could prove to be our Achilles' heel in the Playoffs. Can Pargo give us good minutes? Will the young guys (JuJu and Hilton) shine or wither on the big stage? Can Bonzi handle playing a seven-game series while simultaneously battling the evil Shredder?
- Foul trouble – We saw it just last Wednesday in Dallas. Chris Paul and Tyson Chandler got in foul trouble, and it cost us big time. Tyson is particularly prone to picking up fouls, even though he doesn't go after blocks very aggressively these days. This also ties in closely with bench play. If our starters do get in foul trouble, can the reserves step up and fill the void?
- Fatigue – The Hornets dropped four of their final six regular season games, including a home loss to the Jazz and a miserable defeat in Sacramento. Our guys have struggled to maintain intensity and focus for an entire 48-minute ballgame. Is the gas running low?
- Relying too heavily on Chris Paul – While i don't think the Mavs will be able to consistently limit CP like they did on Wednesday, that game reminded everyone just how much we rely on the kid. If he gets locked down, hurt or fatigued, this series could turn ugly fast.
- Inexperience – Just kidding. I'm still not buying this one, no matter what Mario Elie says.
My apologies if all this comes across as a little too pessimistic. Feel free to discuss the Hornets strengths in the comments if you prefer. We have plenty of those, too.
Bonus linkage, because it just don't stop…
- Empty the Bench: Series preview
- Blog of New Orleans: Playoff pontifications
- Swarming the Ball: Predicting the first round in the West